The game is available on Passionfruit’s website, at three different price points. A $6.99 version is just the game download, $9.99 includes the game, strategy guide, Tiger Eye wallpaper and a seven-minute song from the game, and a $12.99 platinum collector’s edition includes all of that, plus more music and the sheet music for the Tiger Eye theme.
Just saw the announcement from Majesco (the people behind Cooking Mama, Gardening Mama, and Crafting Mama) that they’ll be working on a new Martha Stewart game. I really like the Martha Stewart cookbooks (what’s not to like about easy recipes and gorgeous food photography?), but I thought the related TV show and magazine were pretty disappointing. I don’t have high hopes for the game, I expect it to be more of the underwhelming-spinoff variety, but I’m ready to be proved wrong!
And even if it’s not the greatest game ever, the fact that there’s a Martha Stewart game at all says something good about breaking the stereotype that all games are slobs living in their mom’s basement.
From the press release:
NEW YORK, NY and EDISON, NJ, April 20, 2010 -Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. (NYSE: MSO) and Majesco Entertainment Company (NASDAQ: COOL), an innovative provider of video games for the mass market, today announced a strategic partnership to develop and produce interactive electronic games based on MSLO’s expansive portfolio of award-winning lifestyle content. Under the terms of the partnership, Majesco receives the exclusive worldwide rights to publish these games.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with the Martha Stewart brand to bring sensibility to the video game market,” said Jesse Sutton, Chief Executive Officer, Majesco Entertainment. “Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia offers a vast wealth of content and has a passionate following. Branching into the interactive entertainment space is a natural next step, and Majesco Entertainment is proud to be the exclusive partner.”
“Majesco Entertainment is well respected for bringing consumer-friendly titles to the mass market and has a proven track record of tapping the interests of family and non-traditional video game players,” said Martha Stewart, Founder, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. “Women are increasingly engaged in social gaming. We feel confident that this new offering will delight loyal customers who are active in the space while introducing a new generation to the brand.”
LOS ANGELES, CA (April 16, 2010) – Casual games developer and publisher Legacy Interactive announced today the release of Max and the Magic Marker, an award-winning physics platformer that challenges players to draw their way through 15 innovative and challenging levels. It is now available for PC/Mac on Legacy Games at www.legacygames.com.
Max and the Magic Marker, developed by Play Press, gives players complete control as they draw out solutions and face innumerable traps, monsters and tricky puzzles. Limited only by the imagination of the player, every obstacle has an endless number of solutions. Since its inception, it has been widely acclaimed, with its development team winning the Independent Games Festival 2010 D2D Vision Award, EIGA 2009 Innovative Game Design Award, Best Overall 2009 Unity Award, and DGA 2010 Talent of the Year.
“Fun gameplay, innovative ideas and loads of options make you replay levels over and over again.” – GamingXP
“Max & the Magic Marker is a charming puzzle platformer with pleasant visuals and a simple soundtrack. Part of the fun is noticing the details, like how the little monsters can pull out bright yellow construction hats to protect them from your pen.” – Gamespot
“The physics and drawing are spot on and it has a great art style. One of the most enjoyable games with a little boy with a giant orange mohawk as the protagonist that I have ever played!” – 411 Mania
Featuring three lovingly designed game worlds based on children’s drawings, adults and children of all ages will be immediately drawn into the 2D world of Max and the Magic Marker!
Max and the Magic Marker is available for PC/Mac on Legacy Games at www.legacygames.com and in leading retail stores, and will be appearing on popular digital distribution portals.
After Women’s Murder Club: A Darker Shade Of Grey, and Women’s Murder Club: Death In Scarlet comes a new WMC, Women’s Murder Club: Crimes of Passion, this time for the Nintendo DS and DSi. I think the portable DS system, with the stylus-driven games, is perfect for casual gaming, and I’m seeing more and more story-based casual games coming out. I’ve been carrying the Sims (or Sims Castaway!) in my purse, and I also saw a Nancy Drew game for the DS the other day.
From the Women’s Murder Club: Crimes of Passion press release:
“When I dreamed up the ladies of the Women’s Murder Club, I knew they were women of action; women on the go,” said James Patterson. “I never dreamed they could come to life like they have in the Nintendo DS version. This new game gives fans a chance to become a member of the Women’s Murder Club anytime, anywhere.”
And by “anytime, anywhere” I think he means “while waiting at the airport”.
I was lucky enough to get a look at some screenshots from the upcoming game. I had to include this one, because there just aren’t enough science-themed puzzles in games targeted to women!
Obligatory hidden objects minigame. It works well in a mystery-solving game, but I just don’t see what’s fun about squinting at the screen.
Nintendo DSi users will get a special feature that uses the camera, (can’t wait to see how they integrate that) but the game will also be available for the regular DS.
From the creative minds that brought you Home Sweet Home and Masters of Mystery comes a brand new adventure! Big Blue Bubble proudly announces the release of Legacy: World Adventure!
Travel the world as Emily King, an intelligent young woman with a yearning for adventure and a craving for knowledge. Help her reclaim her family legacy in an electrifying race around the globe, to win the illustrious Grand Adventurers Expedition! Legacy: World Adventure will challenge your Match 3 abilities and heighten your World Fact knowledge with exciting clues and stunning imagery!
So climb aboard our airships for the race of a lifetime, clever mini-game action, and hundreds of world facts that will push your skills to the limits!
Featuring…
• International Adventure Storyline!
• 30 Real World Locations!
• Hundreds of World Facts!
• 3 Different Types of Match 3 Gameplay!
• 5 Challenging Mini-Games!
Legacy: World Adventure supports 98/ME/2000/2003/XP/Vista. Download it from www.bbbarcade.com TODAY!
LOS ANGELES, Calif.– March 17, 2009 – Independent video games developer Zombie Studios has reached an agreement with Fox Atomic, a unit of Fox Filmed Entertainment, and production company Union Entertainment to develop its military action franchise “Blacklight” as a feature film, comic book series and video game. The announcement was made jointly by Zombie CEO Mark Long*, Fox Atomic President Debbie Liebling, and Union President Richard Leibowitz.
An original property created by Zombie Studios,“Blacklight” is a covert military action epic set twenty-five years in the future. The three companies will work together on a movie and comic book series to be produced by Fox Atomic and a multi-platform video game that will be produced by Zombie.
Both the film and the video game will be written by Jason Dean Hall, a veteran writer whose latest film, SPREAD, sold at Sundance to Summit. He is also writing projects for DreamWorks and Universal.
“We are excited by the huge potential “Backlight” has to succeed across multiple platforms — theatrical features, comics books, and video games,” said Liebling,“it offers us a remarkable franchise opportunity for film.”
“From the start, I have envisioned’Blacklight’ as a story that spans all of the forms of media I enjoy most,” stated Long.“It’s an ambitious project and I’ve been fortunate to find partners at Fox Atomic and Union who share that same vision. We are cooperating on the comic, game and movie at levels that are unprecedented in the industry.”
“’Blacklight’ plays to Union’s strengths as a film and game production company, allowing us to help bring a great property to consumers in both media,” added Leibowitz, a producer on the project.
Richard Leibowitz will produce and Dmitri Johnson and Dan Jevons will executive produce for Union. Mark Long, in addition to developing the video game, will serve as an executive producer on the feature. Zak Kadison and R. Eric Lieb will oversee for Atomic.
The“Blacklight” film, video game, and comics will feature the same characters and high caliber military action, but with unique, intersecting storylines that complement each other. No release dates for any of the properties have yet been announced.
*Is it just me, or would “Zombie CEO” be one of the best titles ever?
New content for Golemizer, a browser-based steampunk MMO:
Blainville, Canada – March 30, 2009 — Dave Toulouse, an independent game developer, announced the first free content expansion, Diluculo Island, for the free web MMORPG Golemizer. A free 2D steampunk MMORPG, Golemizer requires no download or plug-in to play and features a rich sandbox environment.
Following the path of a mysterious scientist named Dr. Grant, players will discover an island where strange creatures, the bymizins, are living. Are they friendly? Are they hostile? Players will have to find out for themselves while facing the many dangers of the island like giant spiders, zombie velociraptors and the terrifying X-Rex (a steam powered dinosaur).
Along a storyline of 100 new quests, the Diluculo Island expansion features:
- Over 200 new zones to explore
- 3 new golems that players can create (zombie velociraptor, mecha repair-o-tron and even the X-Rex)
- 10 new skills available to all characters
- New island themed items that players can buy to customize their cities and dungeons
- The first vehicle in Golemizer, a blimp that can be built by players!
To meet the requirements of the constantly growing number of players and NPCs (over 10 000), Golemizer has recently been moved to a new server to provide the best gaming experience possible.
Since its release in September 2008, more than 19 000 players have roamed the creative world of Golemizer. In their journey, they have created 1 200 quests using the player quests creation system, crafted over 800 000 items and created more than 5 000 new zones using the player dungeon system.
I know I already have a long list of games to play… but the combination of crafting and steampunk makes me want to check this one out.
Subsoap(TM) (www.subsoap.com), an up and coming developer of
casual games, today announced the launch of Faerie Solitaire.
The game is a fantasy-theme casual card game that’s full of adventure,
mystery, and wonder. Featuring 360 exciting levels, including Hidden
Object mini games, 8 worlds to play through, and hundreds of hours
of gameplay entertainment. Faerie Solitaire is the next triple-A
casual title, and is available exclusively at Subsoap.com.
Rescuing Lost Faeries
In Faerie Solitaire players will travel across the land of Avalon
in search of magical faeries who have been trapped by some
mysterious force. A move away from what is currently popular in
the casual space, Faerie Solitaire’s strong production values
and compelling gameplay will surely please solitaire fans.
Is it just me, or does that sentence make it sound like other casual games have no production value and boring gameplay? I’m not saying there aren’t a bunch of dull match-3s floating around the internet, but I’ve played some amazing casual games, like Funky Farm 2, Crayon Physics, and Nancy Drew: Lights, Camera, Curses!, just to name a few recent ones that had me addicted. I hope Faerie Solitaire will be one of them!
Subsoap also plans to launch a new casual gaming portal sometime this year.
Women’s Murder Club: A Darker Shade Of Grey, a new casual game based on James Patterson’s best-selling novels, is available starting today from MSN Games. Here is the press release, and some exclusive screenshots!
NEW YORK, NY – February 24, 2009 -I-play, the world’s leading multi-platform casual games publishing division of Oberon Media, announces the exclusive launch of the second casual PC game based on the best-selling Women’s Murder Club book series by James Patterson. Women’s Murder Club: A Darker Shade of Greymakes its debut on MSN Gamestoday, where it will be available exclusively for two weeks. Created by best-selling author James Patterson, in collaboration with I-play’s award-winning team of designer Jane Jensen and producer Robert Adams, this new title delivers another original story and thrilling adventure to follow the massive success of its predecessor, Women’s Murder Club: Death in Scarlet.
“We are pleased to again collaborate with MSN Games on the exclusive launch of Women’s Murder Club: A Darker Shade of Grey”, said Don Ryan, Chief Operating Officer, Oberon Media, I-play’s parent company. “Millions of casual gamers, and James Patterson fans alike, made Women’s Murder Club: Death in Scarlet an interactive gaming hit! Now, James Patterson and the I-play team have created an addictive sequel that will have users riveted with the new Women’s Murder Club storyline through hours of spine-tingling game play.”
A casual adventure game based on Patterson’s massively popular Women’s Murder Club novels, Women’s Murder Club: A Darker Shade of Grey is available exclusively for download at MSN Games until March 10. MSN Games will be offering Women’s Murder Club fans exclusive content including a sneak peek of the first ten chapters of James Patterson’s not-yet-released novel “The 8th Confession,” desktop wallpapers, Windows Live Messenger icons and jigsaw puzzles created from in-game scenes and characters. Additionally, players purchasing the game via MSN Games will have access to Women’s Murder Club trivia questions and quizzes. The game is available for PC download for $19.95.
Women’s Murder Club: A Darker Shade of Grey isthe sequel to the tremendously successful Women’s Murder Club: Death in Scarlet seek-and-find mystery game. The adventure begins when a brisk morning jog ends in tragedy for a young military cadet. The famed heroines of Women’s Murder Club are called to the scene and eventually led to a prestigious but secretive military academy in South Carolina. Users will follow Lindsay and Cindy from California to South Carolina as they interrogate suspects and investigate esteemed military personnel. Along the way, players will attempt to reveal the truth and track down the killer by solving challenging puzzles using instinct, fact and forensic evidence to expose years of corruption, cover-up and conspiracy.
Women’s Murder Club: A Darker Shade of Grey is filled to the brim with new features including an all new Women’s Murder Club storyline; character dialogue; ten thrilling investigations unveiling a story of mystery, adventure and sordid secrets; twenty-five challenging puzzles; a point system to track progress within the game; and breathtaking art of locations that lead gamers to delve deeper into this interactive adventure. The game is being developed and published online by I-play and will be published at retail by Elephant Entertainment, a division of THQ Inc.
One more screenshot of what looks like a forensics minigame. Awesome!
Supercute gaming site Globulos.com, which offers a bunch of casual multiplayer games, reopens with a free-to-play basic model and a cash shop for extras.
The 20 games and the 50 playing fields are playable 100% for free. Games are 1 against 1 player, 2 against 2 or melee of 4 players. The gameplay is a mix between arcade fun and simultaneous turn based strategy. The kawaii style was noticed by the Japanese Nintendo official magazine, Nintendo Dream with a full page article.
Some options like character customization or power-ups (teletransportation, invisibility and a lot more) can be purchased using Globbies, the website currency.
The 20 games are: Arena, Football, Croquet, Tic-Tac, Save the King, Darts, Funky Foot, Bomber, Rally, Volley, Sumo, Flipper, Pétanque, BomberKing, 4-Square, Snooker, PacGlob, Basket, DartsKing, Monster.
A Nintendo DS game is being developed and is targeting the upcoming DSiWare channel.
Budapest, Hungary, January 29, 2009 – Artex Studios, Inc., the owner of CasualGameStore.com is scheduled to release the iPhone and WiiWare version of Mahjong Zodiac and Str33t Racing.
Mahjong Zodiac ———————- Mahjong Zodiac is a unique combination of the classic mahjong and the three matching games. The classic mahjong gameplay with the intriguing twist, guaranteed to challenge anyone looking for a brain workout. Embark on a journey through ancient China and Buddha’s life in this story-filled mahjong game. As you progress from level to level, a beautifully illustrated story is revealed, immersing you in a great gaming experience.
- 96 well balanced level - unique hand drawn graphics - particular mahjong tile set - beautiful particle system - authentic background music and sound effects
Mahjong Zodiac sounds a bit like Liong:The Lost Amulets for a blend of mahjong solitaire and a story, don’t you think?
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – January 19, 2009 – Qwak was released today on the Archive Games distribution platform. In Qwak, players guide a duck through 70 fun and challenging levels. Players try to gain higher scores by collecting fruit. Players will also find numerous other objects in their adventure: keys to unlock doors, jet boots to fly across the screen, umbrellas that cause fruit to rain from the sky, and eggs to throw at the player’s enemies. Many more secret hidden bonuses await those who play through the game! Players do not have to brave alone the six visually stunning worlds depicted in Qwak — they can bring along a friend to help them in the cooperative gameplay mode. Players can post their high scores to a global high scores list.
Qwak was initially released nearly twenty years ago for the BBC Micro by game developer Jamie Woodhouse. In today’s PC release, the classic arcade action gameplay has remained from that age — though the graphics and sound have been updated. The end result is a highly polished arcade experience which is fun for gamers new to the franchise and those who have played Qwak on another platform before.
Archive Games, a distribution platform for independently made games, is proud to welcome Qwak to their games catalog. Archive Games, known for its selection of independently made free games, is excited to offer Qwak as its first paid game. Said Archive Entertainment owner Robby Zinchak, “We’re thrilled to have Qwak join our line-up of independent games! We hope that by distributing paid games as well as free games, we are able to financially assist the plight of the independent game developer. Archive Games allows users to quickly find great independent games, and now, even support the authors of those games.
A new racing game from High Voltage Software, Inc.
Hoffman Estates, IL – January 8, 2009 – High Voltage Software, Inc., one of the world’s largest independent developers, today announced that High Voltage Hot Rod Show, the company’s latest WiiWare title, has been scheduled for release via Nintendo’s downloadable service on January 19th at a price of 1,000 Wii Points.
High Voltage Hot Rod Show is an arcade-style racing title that centers on a unique boost system which requires players to pull off dare-devil stunts in order to achieve maximum speed. The game was built using the company’s proprietary Quantum 3 Game Engine technology, which provides stunning graphical performance.
“We want to wish racing fans a happy New Year by announcing the release of High Voltage Hot Rod Show,” said Kerry J. Ganofsky, CEO and founder of High Voltage Software. “Wii owners who are looking for a tightly focused and highly competitive racing experience should look no further.”
“The team worked extremely hard to refine the look and feel of the game,” said Eric Nofsinger, Chief Creative Officer of High Voltage Software. “Whether you’re playing against AI, working to beat the best online leaderboard times, or racing up to four of your friends in split-screen mode, we think players will be blown away by the experience.”
Guadalajara, Jalisco México – January 06, 2009 – Happy Nutz Studio releases Rotoadventures Momo’s Quest – an action/platform mouse-only game so easy to play that can be enjoyed by the whole family. The game demo can be downloaded from www.RotoAdventures.com
The game is hand draw frame by frame and tells the story of Momo, a little squirrel in a life quest for finding his owner. The game guides the player from an enchanted forest to cybernetic mines and from a school to a cursed castle exploring various themes like vandalism and ecology.
Features:
- Easy to play, you only need the mouse.
- Choose between light and dark chapters.
- Get new abilities for each chapter.
- 20 Different worlds.
- 10 Boss enemies.
- Unlock more than 20 Wallpapers.
- Different endings.
Yeah, you read that right. A squirrel (a really cute squirrel, actually) who has to choose between the light side and the dark side. Here’s a sneak preview of the freakishly cute little guy:
Gametribe.com, the premier destination for Free-to-Play games starts 2009 with a great update to come on January 7th!
We are happy to introduce the Marriage system for all the lovers!
Declare you Love and get married to unlock extra bonuses with your
partner.
To prepare a great wedding ceremony, you can now get the two
beautiful Ring of Devotion (to give energy to the partner) and Partner
Pager (to summon the partner at any time).
Depending on the rings set you choose (Plain, Gold, Platinum or
Diamonds), you will have access to the different wedding costumes
(Chinese, Japanese and Fantasy) and wedding places (Chinese, Church and
Fairytale).
Invite all your friends, prepare a special banquet, it’s a unique moment!
If you want to get married, you can also try the Lover’s quests:
- Devoted Love in Darkdale lvl 20
- Mutually Love in Swan Lake Basin lvl 25
- Everlasting in Blakatoa lvl 30
- Loving Forever in Grassgreen Square lvl 35
- Never regretting Giantwood Forest lvl 40
These quests give wedding dresses and love titles!
Another big feature coming is the Potential Development Instructor
(meet him at the Eversun Dojo). He will give you several quests that
will let you reach the new cap, the level 62!
New items and goodie bags:
• Permanent Emperor’s New Hat and Bounty Hunter Costume available until January 21st
• Purple Butterfly Wings
• Devil’s Wings
• Wedding Venue Lease Contract: for couples to enter a wedding place another time
• Costume goodie bags available until February 4th:
o For girls: Bestial Girl costume, Wild Girl costume and Fairy Horn
o For boys: Red Ghostly Gown, Blue Ghostly Gown, and Demon Horn
• Special riding Pet goodie bag available until January 21st: you may get a permanent Lil’Dairy Pu or Pure White Pupu!
The new update will be available to players after the weekly Wednesday maintenance window.
DOMO is a Free-to-Play social MMORPG based on ancient Chinese
mythology. Join with thousands of other gamers in an amazing
anime-inspired world where you can socialize, form friendships, craft
and master a variety of jobs, all within the underlying quest of trying
to solve the riddles of the ancient myth of the Kunlun Mirror.
To download and play DOMO visit the game’s official website through www.gametribe.com.
Blainville, Canada – March 30, 2009 — Dave Toulouse, an independent game developer, announced the first free content expansion, Diluculo Island, for the free web MMORPG 
![[Presidio+Crime+Scene.jpg]](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vFZAfe3GuA4/SaRJYV-glfI/AAAAAAAABUE/vWmMDenLsXM/s1600/Presidio%2BCrime%2BScene.jpg)
The 20 games and the 50 playing fields are playable 100% for free. Games are 1 against 1 player, 2 against 2 or melee of 4 players. The gameplay is a mix between arcade fun and simultaneous turn based strategy. The kawaii style was noticed by the Japanese Nintendo official magazine, Nintendo Dream with a full page article.
Mahjong Zodiac
